Disproportionate Focus
NGOs discover Iran's human rights violations
Amnesty, HRW, and FIDH have issued a number of statements on the Iranian governments suppression of demonstrations and related issues following the presidential election. NGOs call for restraint, investigations, and new elections. Before the elections, Iranian violations were not a high priority for HRW or FIDH. Despite its large and active Middle East division, HRW devotes few resources to Iran. The majority of Amnestys attention was through narrowly-focused and low-impact Urgent Actions, not in-depth reports.
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Amnesty in 2008: Anti-Israel Obsession Continues to Undermine Moral Principles
In 2008, Amnesty again focused disproportionately on Israels response to aggression from Gaza, and led the NGO campaigns accusing Israel of collective punishment and war crimes. Israel is portrayed as among the worst human rights violators in the Middle East. In 2008 Amnesty issued more in-depth reports on Israel than any other country. Media attention and ideology, in contrast to universal human rights, drive Amnestys agenda. Its 2009 Annual Report further demonstrates the NGOs highly biased approach, grossly distorting the conflict and promoting the Palestinian narrative of events.
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Trócaire: Misdirected Catholic Aid from Ireland Fuels Conflict
Trcaire is the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Funders include Irish Aid (Government of Ireland). Its programs reflect a one-sided agenda, including the "campaign on the illegal Wall" and its reporting on Gaza. Partners include Badil, PCHR, Zochrot, and Medical Aid for Palestinians. During the Gaza operation, Trcaire called for "the suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement." Officials accuse Israel of "systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over another to maintain a regime."
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Examining Human Rights Watch in 2008: Double Standards and Post-Colonial Ideology
Quantitative and Qualitative analysis of HRW in 2008 reflect the portrayal of Israel as the second worst abuser of human rights in the Middle East. HRW's use of international legal and human rights terminology singles out Israel for condemnation, while other serious human rights abusers receive little coverage. Evidence suggests that specific HRW personnel (Joe Stork, Sarah Leah Whitson and Marc Garlasco) are responsible for responsible for much of the bias, and when other individuals are centrally involved, the reports are less tendentious
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The NGO front in the Gaza war: Human Rights Watch
In the first 16 days of fighting HRW released 11 statements on Gaza, primarily critical of Israel, including many using the rhetoric of international law for political objectives. Sarah Leah Whitson has carried HRWs campaign to the UN -- and similar to allegations made during the 2006 Lebanon war, HRWs claims about the IDFs use of white phosphorus lack credible evidence.
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